==Phrack Inc.==
Volume Two, Issue 12, Phile #11 of 11
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PWN >>>>>=-*{ Phrack World News }*-=<<<<< PWN
PWN Issue XII/2 PWN
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Toll-Free Woes January 26, 1987
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>From Time Magazine; reprinted in the February 1987 Issue of CO Magazine
While Oral Roberts struggles with budgets, fundamentalist preacher Jerry
Falwell faces a different kind of money pinch. The Lynchburg, VA,
televangelist has long used toll-free phone numbers to assist viewers seeking
spiritual help.
For many months Falwell foes, aware that each phone-in cost $1, have purposely
clogged his lines. An Atlantan programmed his computer to dial Falwell every
30 seconds. Before Southern Bell stepped in, the stunt cost Falwell $750,000.
Late last year, the Daily Cardinal student newspaper at the University of
Wisconsin -- Madison ran a column advocating "telephone terrorism" and listed
several targets, including Falwell.
The TV preacher estimates that annoyance calls cost him more than $1 million
last year, not counting lost donations. Falwell, who is considering legal
action, regards the calls as "unlawful activities" that do "injury to the
cause of Christ."
[Well now...isn't that special? And just where did all these people get the
idea to do "injury to the cause of Christ?" From me, Knight Lightning? No, I
don't think so. From oh maybe Phantom Phreaker? No, I don't think so.
Possibly Lucifer 666, but the big question is... Could it be... SATAN!!!?]
Typed For PWN by Knight Lightning
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Voice numbers: Are They Really Necessary? March 5, 1987
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A recent series of events on ShadowSpawn BBS has attracted much attention in
the hack/phreak community. It seems that the sysop, The Psychic Warlord,
denied access to Lex Luthor, Kerrang Khan, and Silver Spy because of their
failure to leave valid voice phone numbers. The following messages have been
taken from ShadowSpawn BBS. [Some posts have been re-formatted].
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32/50: This board...
Name: The Psychic Warlord #1
Date: 6:36 pm Thu Feb 26, 1987
Alright goddamn it, I'm so fucking pissed off that I'm just about ready to
say Fuck It and take down the board for good. Why? Seems that few people are
happy with the way I run this board. No, not really with the way I run it,
but more like the way I choose to validate my users. Ok, fine... You don't
like it then get the fuck out and quit complaining.
I set certain rules that people have to abide by to get access to this
board. Very simple fucking rules. And now I'm finding out that people don't
want to abide by these rules, and basically tell me I'm fucked in the head for
having and going by them. What rules? For one thing, and this is the major
bitch-point here, new users (no matter WHO THE FUCK they are) are *REQUIRED*
to leave a valid voice number where I or Ctrl can reach them at for
validation. No big fucking deal... Just a goddamn phone number.
"Oh, but I can't give you my voice number. I'm a hacker, and I do untold
amounts of illegal things and I can't risk my number getting out." Riiight.
Like I'm really some fucking Fed who's gonna bust yer ass, or some geek who
gives out peoples phone numbers to any-fucking-body who asks. BULLSHIT!
I'm the Sysop of a (hopefully) respected BBS, and along with that goes a
certain responsibility. I'm not about to go passing out peoples numbers. *I*
have respect for other hackers privacy, unlike some people who choose to
invade mine just for the fucking hell of it. I require that new users leave
their voice numbers for a number of GOOD reasons:
1) Trust -- If they can trust me with their voice numbers, then I can trust
them with access to my board. I need that kind of trust between
me and my users. If they feel that they can't trust me enough to
give me a lousy phone number, then how in God's name am I supposed
to be expected to trust them at all?? My ass is on the line just
as much (if not more) than any user of this board!
2) Security -- Ok... So how do I know if someone is really a Fed or not? I
don't! I go by instinct. Having a person's voice number let's
me call them for validation and get to know them a helluva lot
better than I could through e-mail. Plus, if suspicion ever
arose about a user of my board being a Fed or not, how could I
check this out? If I don't have their voice number, I have no
leads as to where to find or who the fuck this person really
is. Now I don't go checking everyone on the board via the
numbers they give me. I have NEVER had to do that for ANY
user, but the possibility is there. And rather than throw a
possibly innocent person off the board merely on a hunch, we
might be able to prove whether or not it's true. This is
extremely hypothetical, but like I said... the possibility is
there.
Ok, so why the hell should I have to require that established people, like
Lex Luthor and Silver Spy, leave valid voice numbers? Is it fair to the other
users? Hell no. If I required only certain people to give me their numbers,
then what does that do to their trust in me?? It's like me saying, "Well, I
don't trust you... I don't know you that well. You have to sacrifice more
than these guys to get access." That's BULLSHIT, and I'm not about to do it.
If one person is required to give a valid voice number, then every damn user
is required to!
I've been getting a lot of shit the past couple days because I've denied
access to some very well known and respected people in the hack/phreak world.
Namely Lex Luthor, Silver Spy, and Kerrang Khan. I denied all of them access
because they all refused to leave a voice number. Fine. Then they don't get
access. Ctrl [Ctrl-C is a cosysop on ShadowSpawn] said I was crazy. Taran
said pretty much the same. Taran also tried to get me to change my mind...
to condescend, or go against what I believe in and how I believe this board
should be run. He (Taran) said that by my denying Lex and the others access
that I would be hurting this board more than helping it. ***I DON'T GIVE A
DAMN***
I'm not impressed in the least with any of those peoples reputations. I
never have been a "groupie" and I'm not about to start now. Whether or not
they are good or not isn't the issue here, and some people don't seem to
realize that. Yes, Lex is good. He's well known. He's even a nice guy...
I've talked to him before and personally I like him. But I don't play
favorites for anyone. Not Lex, not Silver Spy, and not Kerrang Khan. Nobody.
What really pissed me off, and I should have told Taran that I resented it
at the time, is that TK said that apparently this board is "elite". That I
consider this board to be too good. Personally I think this fucking board is
overrated, and yes Taran... I resented that remark. I can't remember exactly
what he said, but it was something like, "In your logon message you have
'We're not ELITE, we're just cool as hell,' but apparently you ARE elite."
This board isn't "elite" and if I come off seeing that way sometimes, it's
only because people are getting half the picture of what I'm doing.
Ok, so I deny Lex Luthor access to this board. That's all you people seem
to think about. The actual denying of access. You think, "How can he do
that?! What gall! He must be a real egotistic bastard to think that Lex
Luthor isn't good enough to be on this board!" If you think that, and most of
you have thought only that, then you're fucked in the head.
Yes, I realize who these people are! Yes I know their reputations and how
they are renowned for their skills as hackers and phreakers... But like I
said before, that's not the issue. It never was. I *KNOW* how good these
people are. I *KNOW* about their reputations and I respect them for it, but I
don't care. That's not why they've been denied access!
When I deny someone access to this board it's usually for one of two
reasons;
1) They left a false voice number or
2) They either blew off or left really crappy answers to the filter.
Personally I'd be thrilled to have Lex or Silver Spy on the board... and
any of a number of people. But these people can't find it in themselves to
trust me. If they can't trust me, then I can't trust them. It's as simple as
that.
I'm not about to let anyone on this board that I can't trust. It's not
fair to the other users, and it's damn stupid of me. I run this board the
best way I know how. I do what I do in respect to new user validations
because it's the best way, through trial and error, that I have found to
handle it. If people can't respect the way in which I choose to run my board
then I'd appreciate it if they never called. And when regular users of my
board start questioning the way I do thing, and telling me that I'm WRONG for
doing things the way I believe they should be done, then I really start to
wonder what the fuck I'm doing it for at all. I'm not a quitter, and I don't
like the idea of giving up and taking down the board. I'm going to run this
board the way I think is best, and I'm not about to conform to what other
people think I should do.
I've probably stepped on some toes and offended some people with this, but
that's just too damn bad. I hate fighting the topic but I'll fight it if I
have to.
--==The Psychic Warlord==--
37/50: Take a fucking valium
Name: Taran King #45
Date: 9:02 am Sat Feb 28, 1987
You're known for an explosive temper, PW as well as sometimes being extremely
irrational. My policy is to let people on the my board with voice numbers
only. Through the history, I've made maybe 5 exceptions. Some of 'em include
Lex, Spy (at first), Tabas, Videosmith, and Phucked Agent 04. Now, I never
got anything out of PA04 because he got a "call" soon after he got on the
board, but the rest of the members have contributed extremely well to the
board. I just made sure I knew it was really them by referencing and cross
referencing.
If your morals are that unbendable, PW, then you need to relook at the purpose
of this board. If it's to spread phreak/hack knowledge as you said on the
phone, then to have those people on with the experience that they have would
hardly hinder the board. I seriously doubt anyone would feel offended if any
of the forementioned people got on here without leaving a valid voice number,
being that they're not on any other board with a voice number.
I know that Lex is not giving out his number to even the best of his
friends. Spy is really careful about it these days. Not so sure about
Kerrang but he's travelling about now so he's not in one place for too long
nowadays. It's your board and I was trying to give you some constructive
criticism, but you took it the wrong way. You don't have to claim you're
ELITE to be elite. Elite merely means that you've got the respected members
of the community on board. Well, you've got 'em. If you don't like it, I
suggest you go through and purge the log like a big dog. Actually, fuck it.
I'm tired of getting into arguments for trying to help someone. Feel free to
delete my account if you feel that I've not contributed enough information to
the board, or if you've rethought the purpose and decide that it's not for
what I've contributed, dump me. Fuck dis
-TK
44/50: Well...
Name: The Psychic Warlord #1
Date: 4:57 pm Sun Mar 01, 1987
I'm glad that some people agree with me on this. I can understand Lex's
point of view, too. I can also remember a time when I myself refrained from
giving my number to any sysops. But... I've changed my point of view
considerably after living the Sysop life for well over 1.5 years. Now if I
ever wanted access to a board, and the Sysop of that board asked for my voice
number, I'd give it to him.
I've given Lex access to this message base for a short period of time so
that he can check out the discussion. He called me voice the other day and we
talked for a while about this whole biz. I'd like him, and Spy, on the board,
and possibly they'll change their minds. If not, that's cool. I'm just going
to let the whole thing kind of slide from here on out. If they change their
minds, great... Well, Adios.
--==The Psychic Warlord==--
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Kerrang Khan, when notified that he must leave a voice number, said "there is
no reason Psychic Warlord would need any user's phone number." He also stated
that the fact that PW insisted on voice numbers was very "suspicious."
Silver Spy, when notified that he must leave a voice number, never bothered
calling again.
Lex understood the whole situation and remained cool. He said he could see
why a sysop would need voice numbers of his users. Lex was worried about the
board he left it on getting busted and the authorities getting his number. So
PW, in response to this deleted all users phone numbers from the board and
encrypted them in a hidden sub-directory. Now the numbers are there only and
are totally hidden.
Information Provided By
Lucifer 666/Psychic Warlord/ShadowSpawn BBS/Taran King
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